Over Time, Iron training, and the NM marathon

This is my 50th post, so I thought I'd do something special...How about posting for the first time in almost a month? I became motivated to do so when I got a call from one of my idols Tricia Hoyt. Turns out she has been checking out my blog. She was nationally ranked in fitness competitions. Then she decided to try running, she qualified for Boston almost immediately. Now she owns her own buisness called Fitness on Wheels. I had no idea I was being read by such accomplished people. Here Goes:



Since the birth of my son 27 days ago my wife has been staying at home using her maternity leave. The first week of of her 6 weeks off she had payed leave. The 2nd and third week off we had enough $ saved to cover her net pay. The last 3 weeks of her maternity leave she's not getting paid and we don't have anymore $ saved to cover her income-no lack of trying on our part.



So consequently I have been working a bunch of overtime to make up her usual wages. No easy thing considering she makes more money at her job than I do at mine. I have worked a 12hr shift every night except one for the last 3.5 weeks. All my tri-buddies told me going into this that one thing or another had to give: a new born, 24 twelve hr shifts in a 28 day period, and to top it all off I'm only 10 weeks away from my Ironman debut. 10 weeks out means I am seriously ramping up my training! Anyone who has trained for an Ironman knows the feeling accompanied to the last 2 months of Iron training. To put it simply it's sheer exhaustion! I'll be pushing my body to the limit, getting as close to over training, even injury as possible without passing that fine line. The build phase of Iron training is always hard, even without waking up every 3 hrs to feed my newborn son, even without the extra shifts at work, this was going to be hard. And now that I'm actually putting all this on my plate I'm shocked to find out that I'm actually more able to handle the higher workout load now than what I was doing before.

That realization has gotten me to thinking Why? The answer was simple enough. Now that I look back I realize it's common sense. You see before I'd work 6am-6pm Wed-Sat. As soon as I got home from work I'd start working out. More often than not I wouldn't get done with my workouts until after 10pm. I'd eat, spend a little time with my bride, get 4-5 hrs sleep, then do it again. On my RDO's (regular days off) I was completely exhausted and I slept in until my daughter awoke at 8:30am. I'd take care of her until my wife got home from work at 6 or 7pm. I'd spend some quality time with my wife. And once the family was settled I'd get to training. It wasn't uncommon for me to start running at the track or riding my indoor trainer at 11pm. Often times my wife would want me to hold her until she fell asleep, so I wouldn't start my workout until 2am. Crazy I know! but simply put, my family is my #1 priority. I always made sure to fit training in when I could. No matter what, I would always train. You see, I married up. So I have to continue to look good for my wife!

Now that my wife is home all day I have been getting home from work, sleeping(not much), working out, then spending time with my family. Wow, how easy this has been! There's actually been structure and a pattern to my training and my life!!! Even with 6 twelve hour shifts of work a week, waking up frequently with a new born, sleeping during the day, and Iron training my family still has more time together, I'm getting more structured sleep, and my training has been more consistent. OH, hallelujah!

Now on to the next subject. I just finished my first big Build block of training for the Silvermamn. On Saturdays I was doing 6.5hr bricks, and on Sundays I was doing 13-14 mile runs, add what I was doing during the week I had averaged 17hr 45 min of working out a week. The last day of a 3 week build was supposed to be a 14 mile run. It happened to be on the same day as the NM half marathon. What a great opertunity! Friendly people to run with. Aid stations with people to hand me Gatorade, water, and salty snacks! And a finishing medal.

I knew I was in better shape than the time I ran my PR half marathon of 1:57. But I also knew that because of me being at the end of a vicious build cycle I was going to struggle with this run. Oh did I ever struggle! I pushed myself as hard as I ever had, but it felt like I was running in quick sand.

The nick name that my tri team "The NM Outlaws" bestowed upon me is Smilin Cody. Because I talk allot and have fun during races. That doesn't mean I'm not giving it my all, I am just a jokester when I race. And since this was a C race, also known as a training race, I was being even more goofy than usual.

Right before the race started I realized I had to go un-carb-build :) I had taken care of that awhile earlier, but when nature calls, I must answer! While I was in the Porto-potty I heard the race director start the count down. Dang it, not the way I wanted to start the day's run. About 15 seconds before the start time is when I hop out of the John, and that is exactly when the RD says over the bull horn "anyone else in the restrooms?" 150 turn and watch me depart the Porto-potty. Hi people! "Don't look at me like that" I'm thinking, "you do it too."

At every aid station there was people yelling Gatorade! And I yelled back Pollo! (Marco, pollo. Get it?) At the time I thought I was being very funny, but now that I look back I realize no one ever laughed, or even cracked a smile. I am my own biggest fan.

Around mile 10 I catch a guy who only weighs about 150 lbs. He looks at me, then does a double take. I know what's coming, I get it all the time. He says to me "are you running the 5K?"
"No I'm doing the half."
"How does a guy as big as you run so fast?"
" I have allot of stored energy" I reply.
"I'd say" he replies. Ok, now that was rude. I get the -wow most guys that big don't usually run this fast- thing all the time. I actually like hearing that. I take it as a complement. But something about the "I guess" comment rubbed me the wrong way. So I turn and look at the guy and said "If we were playing tag, you'd be it forever." And then I stomped on the gas! I kept up an 8:30 ave the last 3 miles. The guy tried to keep up, but after about a quarter mile I popped him. I popped him so hard it was audible. By the time Mr. "I have the perfect running physique" passed the finish line I had already gotten my picture taken by a photographer, found my family, drank some water, and came back to the finish line to watch him get his finishing medal. I'm not usually one to gloat, but that did feel good.

I finished 2:01. Not bad considering how hard my body had been pushed for three weeks. But I must say I was a little disappointed. I really wanted to break my 1:57 PR. I'm feeling really good about my training. I've felt better at the end of my long days than I have ever felt. I believe I'm going to conquer the Silverman!

I'd like to promise that it won;t be so long until my next post, but time has been a commodity I've been lacking recently. But I'll do my best. I will be doing the Harvest Moon half Iron 9-16. That is the Clydesdale long course championships. I'm very exited. I will at least give all you out there in blog land a post race report.

By the way, thanks for pushing me to continue posting more frequently Couch-potatoe-to-Ironman!

Thanks for reading. I'm out.

weekly Miles

The last 2 weks training has been a little difficult with the birth of my son. I think I did pretty well getting my miles in considering th new arrival.

7-30 through 8-5
11hrs 10 min training
swim 3875 yd
bike 21.88 miles
run 6.7 miles
Brick 55.84 miles
MTB 8.81 miles
stairs 2 miles

This week
14hrs 27 min
swim 2700 yds
Bike 21.43 miles
Run 28.89 miles
Brick 71.74 miles

Isn't it strange 4

Isn't it strange how 2 hours seem so long when you're at church, and how short they seem when you're watching a good movie?

Isn't it strange that you can't find a word to say when you're praying, but you have no trouble thinking what to talk about with a friend?

A bonding experience with my daughter

For the last 4 years I've tried to live a very active life style not only to be healthier, but also to be a good example for my daughter. I often take her to the track with me loaded with toys that she can play with on the football field in the middle of the track I end up running on. She'll play around in the grass or the long jump pit entire time I run. While the family watches movies I often ride my indoor bike trainer. I also take her to the pool or park on every one of my days off. I wasn't sure if I was making a difference in the way she'll live her life, but I enjoy living like this. And I really do hope my life style can create healthy choices made by her later in life.

About 5 months ago I bought my daughter a pink Dora the Explorer bike and a pink Princes helmet. I jumped the gun on that one let me tell you. Her little feet couldn't even reach the peddles. She got on the bike that had pink training wheels maybe two times at the most. Both times she got on it I made her wear a helmet. Although she thought the helmet was pretty, she hated wearing it! After 5 months I assumed she would have forgotten all about her helmet and what it was used for.

Today I was scheduled to ride 1.5hrs. I wasn't motivated at all. I grabbed my cycling shoes and helmet, set them in my chair and that's where they stayed for over 2 hrs. I was pretty sure I was going to miss this one. Then around 6:30pm my 22 month old baby girl walked up to me with both of our helmets in her hands. She looked up at me with those big blue eyes and said "please!". I have a bike cart for her but I had never taken her on a training ride with me before. She wanted to go with me on my bike ride and she was even willing to wear her helmet if that meant she could go with me. My heart skipped a beat, and my eyes started filling up with tears. Not only was I touched because she wanted to be with me no matter what it was I was planning on doing. But I also realized all my efforts of exercising in front of her was paying off.

I grabbed us both bottles filled with water, we put on our helmets, and she crawled into the cart before I could even hook it to my bike. I was a little worried that if I did my usual 22 mile loop she'd get bored or uncomfortable and start crying. I wanted to make sure this was a pleasurable experience for her, but the Bonanza loop is really the only place with a shoulder large enough to feel safe riding while pulling my precious cargo. I decided to ride the loop and hope for the best. We ended up doing a 1hr 44 minute 22 mile bike ride. She did great. The entire ride she kept herself occupied and really seemed to enjoying herself. All in all I believe it was a great experience for her. I know this was one of the coolest experiences of my life. I sure love being a Dad.

I got Tagged

Dread Pirate tagged me. I had no idea what that meant until today. I think Dread Pirate will be very disapointed. Outside of work I lead a very boring life.

Jobs I held
In high school:
grounds maintnance.

As an adult
Army reserves 8 years
Pet shop salesman 6 months
Hung drywall(contruction) 6 months
Correctonal officer 12 years

movies I can watch over and over:
The Bourne Supremacy
Good Will Hunting
Star Wars episode 4
Return to me
Pitch Black
The 13th warrior


My guilty pleasures
Any and all food!
triathlon
triathlon training
sweets
exessive amounts of coffee

Places I've lived
As a child:
Hobbs NM
Los Cruces NM
Soccorro NM
Truth or Consequences NM
Albuquerque NM
Cedar Crest NM
Tijeras NM
Lincoln Nebraska
New Orleans Louisiana
Atlanta Ga
Tarpon Springs Fla
Houston TX
Amarillo Tx.

As an adult
Albuquerque NM
Edgewood NM
Santa Fe NM
Since we moved so much as a child I really hate moving now as an adult. I'd rather get a vacectomy than move!

TV shows I enjoy
The biggest loser
The Ultimate Fighter (favorite all time!!!!)
Criminal minds
America's home videos

Favorite foods
Any kind of food. I love to eat.
sweet. I have a nasty sweet tooth!
Fried chicken
Beef jerky

Places I've been on vacation
As a child there was to many to count. My natural Father picked my up every summer and spring break to take me to new vacation places until I was 13. Traveled all across America as a child.

As an adult:
Juarez Mexico
Disneyland
Disney world
2 cruises
All of those except Juarez has been in the last 4 years with my wife. Boring I know. I'm quite the home body!

Body parts I've injured
Nose and cheek Reconstruction in 1999
IT band 2006
Stitches in forhead 1994
Stitches on chin 1994
That's it believe it or not.

Awards I've won:
1985 most improved student (did not deserve that one. I think they gave that one to me because it was the only one not handed out yet)
1986 Fla YAFL Champions
2nd place open division at the 7th annual Arizona's Brazilian Jue Jitsue tournament
Allot of Marathon, half-marathon, duathlon, and triathlon top 3 placings.
2006 SW Challenge series 2nd place Open Clydesdale Div

Nicknames
Codeman
Hanson(this is actually what most of my friends and Co-workers have called me for years. I rarely get called Cody anymore)

Nick names for my children:
Daughter:
Smelly Belly
Stinky
Stinker
Bell
Pincess
Pumpkin
Son:
Champ
Little Richy
& Son

Web sites I check daily
NM Outlaws!
SW Challenge series standings
Athlinks
Training peaks

Sports
Duathlon
Triathlon
Brazilian Jue Jitsue
Football
Kick Boxing not that great at this one. I do have a great hay maker and left hook, but I'm mainly a ground fighter. I'll trow a few bombs to get a quick KO or just to soften him up so I can take him to the ground easily. Then it's tap, snap, or nap! Meaning I plan on making him 1)tap out(means give up or Uncle) 2)snap: meaning I broke something of his, ie. leg, arm, wrist, neck etc., or 3)nap: meaning he got choked out and put to sleep(my personal favorite. I'm actually pretty good at getting people in chokes. Sometimes I even let go before they pass out:)

I'll tag couch potatoe to Ironman because his is my favorite blog
and one man to beat

The birth of my son

Brandy, my wife, and my boy!

And yes boys, Brandy is single:)

Cody James Richard Hanson

Big shoulders and chest. Long tourso, and the Hanson's short stubby legs. Sorry about that son.

When my wife went into labor with my daughter it was a slow and relatively easy birth. Not so with little Cody. My wife's water broke at 10:50pm Sat Aug 4th. I thought people's water only broke like that in the movies. But nope, in the real world, just like in the movies, no warning, nothing, just BAM. Or should I say SPLASH. Ok, more like a steady and constant trickle. Too much info? Sorry. Just trying to set the mood, which for this labor was fast, intense, and all in all surprising. We called my Mother-in-law right away to come pick up my daughter because it was show time!

My gorgeous wife's contractions didn't start until about 20 minutes after her water broke. Since her contractions didn't start right away, and my daughter took a day and a half to get here after contractions started with her, we assumed we had plenty of time to wait for my In-law to drive from Albuquerque to Santa Fe. Wrong! The first contraction suprised my wife and I with how strong and long it was. So I grabbed my little girl in one hand, our suit cases in the other and sprinted out the door. On the way to the hospital her contractions were lasting 2-3 minutes and were only about 2 minutes apart.

By midnight we were in hard labor. Notice how I say "we". I guess technically she was the only one going through labor. Don't know why I feel compelled to say "we" considering she was the only one in intense pain. But anyhow, at midnight Dr. Kelly is in the room and telling her to push. They could feel his head and each time she pushed they said he was getting closer. By 3am the Doc and nurses are starting to get concerned. Cindy's really hurting and I'm freaking out! The medical staff are busy so they aren't really able to explain much. What they do tell me is that with every contraction my son's heart rate is slowing down and my son seems too big for my wife to push out. Shortly after 3am the nurses are saying the problem with my son is getting worse, so they put an oxygen mask on my wife. And then my wife flat lines! I'm no medical expert but I've seen enough movies to know when someone flat lines: it means they have died. I've never been so scared in my life! 2 of the three people I love most in this world may be dying right in front of my eyes. I looked at my wife when the machine claimed that she flat lined and she was in the middle of a contraction. Other than that she seemed fine. Is there some kind of delay or something? Turns out the machine they were using to monitor my wife's vitals had been malfunctioning allot recently. She was still alive, just machine malfunction. Thanks for the warning about the machine people!

But unfortunately my son's HR dropping with every contraction was still a real concern. Just before 4am the Doc said she wanted to try a couple more times, but if my wife wasn't able to deliver they were going to do a C-section. So on the last contraction the Doc actually reaches in and grabs hold of my sons head, and the nurse pushes on the top of my wife's stomach with both hands when my wife pushed. Thankfully my son's head plops out. And then no movement again at all. His head is stuck-literally. My wife is still pushing, the nurse is still pushing on the top of my wife's stomach, the Dr is even wanking on my son's head. But he's not coming out! I'm in complete melt down mode. My wife starts weeping and saying "I can't, I can't do it." The Doctor then said in a very loud voice, almost yelling" Cindy push, you have to push" while simultaneously wanking on my sons head again. My son did finally get pulled out and my wife let out a horrid yelp! Turns out the Doctor said he had some of the biggest shoulders she'd ever seen on a new born. When he comes out he's blue and apparently there is something wrong because they cut the cord right away and rush him over to a corner to start working on him. I was frozen. I couldn't move, I wasn't thinking, I couldn't even get out a full prayer. I just kept repeating over and over in my head " oh please God, Oh please!" After what felt like an eternity I hear what sounded like a squawk, then it turned into a real cry. He was alright. Thank goodness God answers prayers even if when I turned into a complete and bumbling idiot that couldn't even fully articulate a full prayer!

From that point on everything was fine. Cody James Richard Hanson was born at 4:01am, 8lbs 7oz. 22.5 inches long. No fat on that kids body! He was all head, chest and shoulders. I'm telling you, this kid has some seriously broad shoulders on him. He was born ready to bench press 220. After he was cleaned up he and I had our first arm wrestling competition, and I'll be dad gum, the little turd beat me. Alright, a little exaggeration there, but I can't help it. I'm just so dang proud.

I've attached pics. Let me tell you, they don't do my boy justice, he's much more handsome in person. And I'd like you all to notice, even after such a hard night how beautiful my wife still looks. Enjoy.

My son is born!

My son was born Sun Aug 5th at 4:01am. He was 23 inches long, 8lbs 7oz. He has very little fat on him, has huge shoulders and chest, a long torso and the short powerfull Hanson legs! I'll have more info with pictures once we get released from the hospital!

weekly miles/monthly miles

Weekly miles: recovery week
swim 1300yd
bike 40.9
run 7.89
MTB 6
streangth 1.5hrs
stairs 2 miles
weight: 229

July miles
52:41 hrs trained
swim 8729 yds
Bike 209 miles
run 50 miles
stairs 6 miles
MTB 42 miles
Brick154 miles
Race 11miles
streangth 4.5 hrs